<p> Biology 1B Section 105 Microtutorial #1: January 30, 2005 Scientific Illustration Illustrations can be extremely useful in biology, but producing clear and accurate illustrations is not easy. What makes the task so difficult – and so useful – is that you must show the important aspects and only the important aspects of the specimen. Here is a brief guide to help you create the best possible drawings for your lab reports and assignments.</p><p>1. Draw what you actually see. Squint at the specimen to see its overall shape. Don’t let your preconceptions get in the way. Be careful to use correct proportions.</p><p>2. Use sharp, clear lines. Sharp lines make your drawing easier to under- stand and reproduce. In line drawings, don’t use shading or shadows.</p><p>3. Don’t forget to label. Labeling shows what is important about your drawing. Without labels, the viewer won’t know what to look at.</p><p>4. Zoom in if you need to. To show the overall shape of a specimen as well as its details, you can do multiple drawings and show how they relate to each other.</p><p>5. Indicate scale. Always indicate the size of your specimen with a scale bar. If you zoom in to show detail, indicate the scale for each drawing.</p><p>You may find it helpful to plan your drawings with a pencil sketch first. And don’t worry if you’re not artistically inclined – drawings will be judged not by their beauty but by their utility!</p>